bradford pear woodpecker damage

We have big Bradford Pear Trees and we never see or hear the Woodpecker’s. But our trees have thousands of holes where they have been pcking. What can we do about it?

You have a couple of options. First and foremost, it’s important to understand the woodpeckers are feeding on insects that no doubt are nesting on or in the bradford pear trees. It just so happens bradords are subject to many types of insects moving “in” on them. What I mean is that there are many types of boring insects as well as bark seeking pests which will take advantage of vulnerable pear trees. Some of these insects will be targeting your trees for food. Others will be using the tree to nest or hide during adverse weather or even for an entire season. So to decrease the amount of interest woodpeckers will have for your trees, it would be wise to spray them 2-3 times a year. Simply treating the trunk and limbs with CYPERMETHRIN can not only kill anything living on them but also repel most any pest. In the end, reducing the amount of food on the tree will go a long way at reducing the amount of woodpecker interest which in turn will cut out the damage.

To deal more directly with the woodpeckers, you can install some IRRITAPE to the trunk sections where they seem most focused. Cut 1-4 foot pieces as needed and tack them on anywhere you see pecking and damage. Spread out the tape by 3-6 feet and you should be able to get good enough coverage to keep them away for good. Another visual repellent is our ATTACK SPIDER which can be mounted pretty much anywhere. Both these products serve as a visual repellent and are designed to keep them off and away from trees you want to protect but they won’t reduce insect activity or infestation which is most likely why the woodpeckers are coming around. Reduce this population and in the end you’ll find the trees will both last longer and not draw so much attention that usually leads to damage.